• Brian A Primack, Ariel Shensa, Jaime E Sidani, Erin O Whaite, Liu Yi Lin, Daniel Rosen, Jason B Colditz, Ana Radovic, and Elizabeth Miller.
• Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: bprimack@pitt.edu.
• Am J Prev Med. 2017 Jul 1; 53 (1): 1-8.

IntroductionPerceived social isolation (PSI) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Social media platforms, commonly used by young adults, may offer an opportunity to ameliorate social isolation. This study assessed associations between social media use (SMU) and PSI among U.S. young adults.MethodsParticipants were a nationally representative sample of 1,787 U.S. adults aged 19-32 years. They were recruited in October-November 2014 for a cross-sectional survey using a sampling frame that represented 97% of the U.S.PopulationSMU was assessed using both time and frequency associated with use of 11 social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Vine, Snapchat, and Reddit. PSI was measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scale. In 2015, ordered logistic regression was used to assess associations between SMU and SI while controlling for eight covariates.ResultsIn fully adjusted multivariable models that included survey weights, compared with those in the lowest quartile for SMU time, participants in the highest quartile had twice the odds of having greater PSI (AOR=2.0, 95% CI=1.4, 2.8). Similarly, compared with those in the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile of SMU frequency had more than three times the odds of having greater PSI (AOR=3.4, 95% CI=2.3, 5.1). Associations were linear (p<0.001 for all), and results were robust to all sensitivity analyses.ConclusionsYoung adults with high SMU seem to feel more socially isolated than their counterparts with lower SMU. Future research should focus on determining directionality and elucidating reasons for these associations.Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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